Assistant Market Gardener
Job now closed
Camphill Community Glencraig Estate
Purpose of the Job:
To support the Market Gardener in the day to day activities of the organic food production gardens in line with IOA standards. To support and assist with the supervision of Glencraig residents, day attendees along with their key staff in the development and maintenance of this day activity and production garden. To provide support and guidance to volunteers working within the Market Garden as directed by the Market Gardener.
Situated in extensive grounds at Craigavad, Camphill community Glencraig exists to provide care, support and education for children, young people and adults with learning difficulties and, often, challenging behaviours.
Its approach, which is reflected in the statement of values that is included with the application pack for candidates, is based on anthroposophy, a philosophy established by Rudolf Steiner which recognises the uniqueness of each individual and focuses on the building of life-sharing community, adopting a creative, supportive and therapeutic approach and an openness to learn from each other and sustaining inclusivity, security and protection.
If the successful candidate is not already familiar with and supportive of this ethos, there will be an expectation of the willingness to learn and give it their full support. The residents within Glencraig and people attending on a daily basis have complex needs, including learning difficulties of different kinds. They are taught and cared for in purpose-built accommodation and facilities by a combination of support workers, all of whom are accountable to the Chief Executive Officer
Please Note – this role does not currently meet the criteria set by the UK Home Office for the Tier 2 Health and Social Care Visa *
Salary/Hourly Rate: 3 Point incremental scale commencing on £22,214-£23,025 per annum
Hours of Work: 40 hours per week
Length of Contract: 2 year Fixed Term Contract with Potential for Permanent
Key Duties & Responsibilities:
- Food Production Garden
- Provide support to the Market Gardener by sowing, weeding, watering and harvesting crops as directed by the Market Gardener.
- To assist with the delivery of produce to Community areas including seasonal fruits and vegetables as directed by the Market Gardener.
- Support the Market Gardener with crop rotations and managing the production, storage and distribution of fruits and vegetables grown on site.
- Any other reasonable duties as required by the Market Gardener
- Quality
- The Grower will follow emergency protocols put into place to maintain the safety of themselves, their colleagues and all those involved with the activity.
- The Grower will report and record all accidents and significant events
- The Grower will ensure work is carried out in line with best practice
- The Grower will have an awareness of all Camphill Community Glencraig’s policies and procedures and work within these
3. Financial
- The Grower will support the Market Gardener to ensure organisational resources are used in a cost effective manner
- The Grower will identify areas of cost saving within own remit of work where applicable
4. Learning and Development
- The Grower will participate in regular team meetings and attend supervision and annual appraisal reviews with their line manager
- The Grower will undertake all mandatory and developmental training as identified by line manager and that required of them to maintain any required professional accreditation.
- The Grower will reflect on Practice and learn from it contributing to own personal developmental.
5. General
• The Grower will deal with minor First Aid as required
• The Grower will be required to carry out any other reasonable duties as requested by their line manager
- The Grower will be aware of and act in accordance with Camphill Community Glencraig’s Health and Safety Policy.
Person Specification:
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA – all applicants MUST be able to demonstrate either at short-listing or at interview all essential criteria listed below. Applicants should therefore make it clear on their application form whether or not they meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.
| Criteria | Essential | Desirable | Evidenced By: |
| Education/Training/ Qualifications | NVQ level II or equivalent in a relevant subject area such as horticulture. Maintaining and using systems and processes (including IT) | Application form | |
| Experience | 1 year relevant experience of small scale commercial growing, ideally organic. | Experience with integrated pest management | Application from Interview |
| Specialist Knowledge & Skills | Excellent communication skills Excellent organisational skills Horticultural skills (including use of hand tools and machinery) Demonstrable interest in organic gardening, food production and a commitment to environmental sustainability A commitment to engaging with the service users, their key staff, the Farm and Estate staff and the wider community | Application from Interview | |
| Circumstances | Available to work evenings and weekends as required. Must hold a valid driving licence. | Valid driver licence. Interview | |
| Other Requirements | Valid work permit Access NI check Able to fulfil the Occupational Health requirements for the post Job References | Work permit Valid documentation Occupational Health questionnaire 2 satisfactory references |
Benefits
- Starting on 20 days annual leave pro rata plus Camphill Community Glencraig recognises 12 statutory days
- Organisation Pension available on completion of probationary period
- Occupational sick Pay Scheme, increases with length of service
PLEASE RETURN COMPLETED FORMS by 4pm on Friday 16th June 2023 by email to: hr@glencraig.org.uk
